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T-Mobile announces $300 trade-in deal for iPhone X and iPhone 8

Photo by Nilay Patel / The Verge

T-Mobile was well prepared for today’s iPhone reveal, as the carrier has already publicly announced trade-in deals for Apple’s latest smartphone refresh. The carrier says it’s giving $300 to any customer who trades in an iPhone 6 or newer in good condition for an iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, or the iPhone X. For those interested in the latter, extra-costly device — which costs $999 for a 64GB model, or $1,150 for a 256GB model — a $300 credit should help ease the pain a little bit.

T-Mobile also says Apple is offering three months of free cellular service for the new LTE-equipped Apple Watch Series 3, which piggybacks off your plan by using the same phone number. After the promotional period for the Apple Watch ends, T-Mobile says unlimited talk, text, and data for the Series 3 will cost an extra $10 a month. Adding a Watch to your plan is done through T-Mobile’s Digits service, which is the same thing that lets your phone number migrate to other internet-connected devices, like watches or a work phone, or be shared with friends and family members.

It should be noted that this deal is only for T-Mobile customers who purchase a new iPhone on an equipment installment plan, or EIP. That means that just like the cost of the device is split up over 24 months (or some other payment periods), so too is the $300 T-Mobile is giving you.

Also important to remember is that an EIP financing plan is separate, but intertwined with, T-Mobile’s Jump program, its hardware upgrade program that’s similar to AT&T Next and Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program. Most EIP-financed devices are eligible for Jump upgrades after the customer pays off 50 percent of the original device. Jump costs anywhere between $9 and $15 per month, so just make sure you understand all the intricacies of your T-Mobile plan, and know whether you’re planning on upgrading after a year to whatever the next iteration of the iPhone is that comes out next year.